Deol, the dustbin man

Abhay Deol's Road, Movie may not have created waves at the box-office, but he has already found himself a different sort of space to be known in. He is now officially the country’s eco-friendly poster boy.

Abhay Deol has chosen this battle wisely. His last film Road, Movie may not have created waves at the box-office, but he has already found himself a different sort of space to be known in. He is now officially the country’s eco-friendly poster boy.

The actor is lending his support to Video Volunteers, Wildlife SOS and now, ex-US President Al Gore’s The Climate Project. As the ambassador of what is being commonly known as the Dustbin cause, the youngest of the Deol clan has social interest, wildlife and the environment covered.

Dustbin ambassador “Al Gore has done great work and the project is global, so it was a great opportunity for me,” he says. Although every celebrity’s action is looked upon with much scepticism as a move to garner attention for some ulterior motive, he doesn’t care.

“I was the one who picked up the compost dustbin concept. I said we need to do something concrete and not just, say, put the tap off when you brush your teeth or turn the car off at the signal,” says Deol, who is currently figuring out a workable formula to make these dustbins a movement. “If I can reach out to you and show that you can be empowered, then you can start a movement.”

There is only one manufacturer of the compost dustbin in the country right now, but Deol claims he is holding back the blitzkrieg, in case the demand increases: “I realised that if this explodes, and there are enough people to take it on, I will need to know how many dustbins he can make.”

The bin that will be available at an annual cost of Rs 1,400, works on a simple formula. “Just layer the bottom with some leaves, and drop the wet garbage into it. There are some powders that need to be sprinkled on it, which help degrade the dirt and also keep the smell out. And in a couple of months, it turns into compost. We spend that much in one night, I’d urge people to invest that in one bin instead of partying for one evening less.”